Apple Inc.

Leland Stanford Junior University

Other

Zoox, Inc.

Matthew Austin Terrel

Mark Alan Arbore

Michel J F Digonnet

Shanhui Fan

Jason S Pelc

He Wen

Thomas Charles Greening

Gary Shambat

Robert J Chen

Yi-Kuei Ryan Wu

Yongming Tu

Mohamed Mahmoud

Edward L Hull

Joseph Funke

David I Simon

Johannes Edren

Miikka M Kangas

David S Gere

Michel Jf Digonnet

Trent D Ridder

Nivedita Chandrasekaran

Jason Pele

Alexander F Sugarbaker

Michel JF Digonnet

Disclosed herein is an integrated photonics device including an on-chip wavelength stability monitor. The wavelength stability monitor may include one or more interferometric components, such as Mach-Zehnder interferometers and can be configured to select among the output signals from the interferometric components for monitoring the wavelength emitted by a corresponding photonic component, such as a light source. The selection may be based on a slope of the output signal and in some examples may correspond to a working zone at or around a wavelength or wavelength range. In some examples, the interferometric components can be configured with different phase differences such that the corresponding working zones have different wavelengths. In some examples, the slopes of the output signals may be weighted based on the steepness of the slope and all of the output signals may include information for wavelength locking the measured wavelength to the target wavelength.

Mach-Zehnder interferometer device for wavelength locking

Described here are optical sampling architectures and methods for operation thereof. An optical sampling architecture can be capable of emitting a launch sheet light beam towards a launch region and receiving a detection sheet light beam from a detection region. The launch region can have one dimension that is elongated relative to another dimension. The detection region can also have one dimension elongated relative to another dimension such that the system can selectively accept light having one or more properties (e.g., angle of incidence, beam size, beam shape, etc.). In some examples, the elongated dimension of the detection region can be greater than the elongated dimension of the launch region. In some examples, the system can include an outcoupler array and associated components for creating a launch sheet light beam having light rays with different in-plane launch positions and/or in-plane launch angles.

Resolve path optical sampling architectures

Configurations for a photonics assembly design and methods for mitigating coherent noise thereof are disclosed. The photonics assembly may include a set of light sources, an optical subsystem that may include a set of optical elements, and a diffusing element. The light emitted by the set of light sources may be different wavelengths and the light may be de-cohered by a phase shifter before being received by the set of optical elements. The diffusing element may be moveable and may be capable of repeating the same positions or set of positions for each beam of light emitted by the set of light sources. By combining the coherent noise mitigation techniques of the moveable diffusing element and the de-cohered light, the photonics system may provide an illumination profile with a specific spatial profile and angular profile on the sample that allows reliable measurement of the sample and coherent noise mitigation.

Optical system for noise mitigation

Embodiments are directed to optical measurement systems that utilize multiple emitters to emit light during a measurement, as well as methods of performing measurements using these optical measurement systems. The optical measurement systems may include a light generation assembly that is configured to generate light via a light source unit, and a photonic integrated circuit that includes a launch group having a plurality of emitters. Each of these emitters is optically coupled to the light generation assembly to receive light generated from the light generation assembly, and may emit this light from a surface of the photonic integrated circuit. The optical measurement system may perform a measurement in which the light generation assembly generates light and each of the plurality of emitters simultaneously emit light received from the light generation assembly.

Despeckling in optical measurement systems

Systems and methods for determining one or more properties of a sample are disclosed. The systems and methods disclosed can be capable of measuring along multiple locations and can reimage and resolve multiple optical paths within the sample. The system can be configured with one-layer or two-layers of optics suitable for a compact system. The optics can be simplified to reduce the number and complexity of the coated optical surfaces, et al. on effects, manufacturing tolerance stack-up problems, and interference-based spectroscopic errors. The size, number, and placement of the optics can enable multiple simultaneous or non-simultaneous measurements at various locations across and within the sample. Moreover, the systems can be configured with an optical spacer window located between the sample and the optics, and methods to account for changes in optical paths due to inclusion of the optical spacer window are disclosed.

Optical system for reference switching

An illuminator/collector assembly can deliver incident light to a sample and collect return light returning from the sample. A sensor can measure ray intensities as a function of ray position and ray angle for the collected return light. A ray selector can select a first subset of rays from the collected return light at the sensor that meet a first selection criterion. In some examples, the ray selector can aggregate ray intensities into bins, each bin corresponding to rays in the collected return light that traverse within the sample an estimated optical path length within a respective range of optical path lengths. A characterizer can determine a physical property of the sample, such as absorptivity, based on the ray intensities, ray positions, and ray angles for the first subset of rays. Accounting for variations in optical path length traversed within the sample can improve accuracy.

Optical inspection system and method including accounting for variations of optical path length within a sample

Systems and methods for determining one or more properties of a sample are disclosed. The systems and methods disclosed can be capable of measuring along multiple locations and can reimage and resolve multiple optical paths within the sample. The system can be configured with one-layer or two-layers of optics suitable for a compact system. The optics can be simplified to reduce the number and complexity of the coated optical surfaces, etalon effects, manufacturing tolerance stack-up problems, and interference-based spectroscopic errors. The size, number, and placement of the optics can enable multiple simultaneous or non-simultanous measurements at various locations across and within the sample. Moreover, the systems can be configured with an optical spacer window located between the sample and the optics, and methods to account for changes in optical paths due to inclusion of the optical spacer window are disclosed.

A confocal inspection system can optically characterize a sample. An objective lens, or separate incident and return lenses, can deliver incident light from a light source to the sample, and can collect light from the sample. Confocal optics can direct the collected light onto a detector. The system can average the incident light over multiple locations at the sample, for example, by scanning the incident light with a pivotable mirror in the incident and return optical paths, or by illuminating and collecting with multiple spaced-apart confocal apertures. The system can average the collected light, for example, by directing the collected light onto a single-pixel detector, or by directing the collected light onto a multi-pixel detector and averaging the pixel output signals to form a single electronic signal. Averaging the incident and/or return light can be advantageous for structured or inhomogeneous samples.

Confocal inspection system having averaged illumination and averaged collection paths

A vehicle having a control system to utilize a movable suspension to increase sensor coverage. The control system can detect an object of interest that is partially, or completely, outside the field of view of one or more sensors on the vehicle. The system can then use the movable suspension to raise one portion of the vehicle and/or lower another portion of the vehicle to bring the object of interest at least partially into the field of view of the sensor, increasing the effective field of view of the sensor. When an object of interest is determined to be significant (e.g., a traffic or street sign), the system can attempt to bring the object of interest into view of the sensor by tilting the vehicle. The system can use different tilt rates and/or tilt angles depending on whether the vehicle is occupied or not.

Expanding sensor domain coverage using differential active suspension

Methods and systems for measurement time distribution for referencing schemes are disclosed. The disclosed methods and systems can be capable of dynamically changing the measurement time distribution based on the sample signal, reference signal, noise levels, and SNR. The methods and systems can be configured with a plurality of measurement states, including a sample measurement state, reference measurement state, and dark measurement state. In some examples, the measurement time distribution scheme can be based on the operating wavelength, the measurement location at the sampling interface, and/or targeted SNR. Examples of the disclosure further include systems and methods for measuring the different measurement states concurrently. Moreover, the systems and methods can include a high-frequency detector to eliminate or reduce decorrelated noise fluctuations that can lower the SNR.

Growing community of inventors

Campbell, CA, United States of America

Matthew Austin Terrel